[Litem Eshi Ori]
PASIGHAT, 16 Apr: The union jal shakti ministry signed and memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Apex Professional University (APU), based here in East Siang district, on 12 April in New Delhi to plan and execute joint research in the field of river rejuvenation, water conservation and environmental sciences.
APU chancellor Acharya Dhanwant Singh signed the MoU in the presence of union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, during an event themed ‘Namami Gange: Universities connect’, during which the ministry signed similar agreements with 50 universities for establishing the ‘Ganga Activity Centre’.
APU is the only university in the Northeast that the Centre has entrusted with the task of revitalizing, bringing back and preserving the rivers of the Northeast. The agreement envisages programmes such as seminars, roundtable discussions, and conferences that can address the concepts to restore and preserve the precious water bodies of the Northeast. It will also assist the postgraduate and doctoral scholars of APU in carrying out research and dissertation work in collaboration with the ministry’s National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG). This research-level association will also facilitate the research associates of the NMCG to register for PhD programmes at APU.
The MoU is also aimed at identifying robust research that may contribute academically and otherwise to constructively add to the repository of Ganga-centric research and strengthen the Gyan Ganga component of the Namami Gange programme. The research proposals finalised may help in making informed decisions in policymaking related to river rejuvenation in the country.
NMCG Director General G Asok Kumar, National Water Mission Additional Secretary Archana Varma, AICTE Chairman Dr TG Sitharam, and NMCG Executive Director (Technical) DP Mathuria were also present during the signing of the MoUs.
